HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!
I hope you have a WONDERFUL birthday!!!
Love you lots!!!
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Happy Birthday Deccy!!!!

Enjoy 24!!!

Sapporo Yuki Matsuri

http://www.snowfes.com/dh/ssf06/

http://www.snowfes.com/english/index.html

Wow, it's coming up quickly. I booked these tickets even BEFORE I went to Thailand, but yeah....i can't wait now. It'll be fun to branch out in Japan and see what's up North (Hokkaido, I mean). I knew/heard about this Snow Festival even BEFORE I came to Japan, so I'm eager to see what it'll be like. There's a fun group of us going - Myself, Beth, Ros, Kristi, and Joel - so we'll have a crazy time. Yeah!

We fly out February 10th and come back on the 12th, nice wknd get away!

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The Sapporo Snow festival is magnificent, and an event not to be missed. It is one of the largest winter events in Japan and is an absolute gem. If you have the opportunity to go to Sapporo at this time of year, make sure you take it. The festival takes place in early February for 7 days (the actual day of the following year's festival is decided immediately after each festival finishes). In 2006 the festival is from February 6th to 12th. In Japanese it is called the
Sapporo Yuki Matsuri.

During the festival literally hundreds of snow and ice sculptures are created in three areas of Sapporo City: These are

Odori Koen - Sapporo's central park & playground which hosts the artistic snow sculptures, the festival launch, and much of the live music and other entertainment. This section is open day and night.

Susukino - the nightlife area which hosts the ice festival, where sculptures are carved using chainsaws and other power tools on the first day of the festival. Open day and night but best viewed after dark.

Makomanai - the grounds of the Japanese Self-Defense Force base of the same name, which always hosts enormous snow sculptures and snow and ice slides for children. Easily accessed via a short train ride on Sapporo's subway, it is usually only open during the day.

The Sapporo Snow Festival began spontaneously - in 1950 a group of 6 local high school students decided to build snow sculptures in Odori Koen. Japan was still recovering from the aftermath of the war (the occupation didn't finish until the Treaty of San Francisco in 1952) and economically times were still fairly tough. Unemployment was particularly high in Sapporo during this period, due to the loss of fisheries, disruption of markets, a low level of public works expenditure, demobilization and a large number of people displaced by the war - some 400,000 from Sakhalin alone.
The activities of the students gained publicity in the local media, and many locals took their enthusiasm to heart and began to feel more optimistic for the future. It took only a couple of years for the festival to become extremely popular in the local area. In 1955 just 5 years after the 6 students took their initiative, the soldiers from the Makomanai base of the newly established Self-Defense Force also began to participate. Initially this was done partly in order to give the men something to do, but it was quickly understood that making the sculptures was proving to be an excellent team work building exercise and a good way to test the leadership, problem solving skills and initiative of junior officers & NCO's.
The involvement of the SDF was probably what secured the festival's long term success, as it was the soldiers who first built the now famous giant statues, and the wonderful snow slides for children and also the theme sculptures which helped the festival grow. Japanese calendars from as early as the mid-1950's began to feature these sculptures, and it was largely due to the giant sculptures and slides built by the Makomanai base personnel that the festival became widely known throughout Japan by media, popular culture and domestic tourism.

Lovely gifts from Aboard!!!! (Birthday ones too)

Oh the joy of finding that green/white notice slip I know so well in my mail slot saying I've missed a package delivery and then sweet-talking one of my English teachers to call the Post Office and have them re-delivery the package again (something I've done numerous times that you'd think i would now know how to do it by myself) But NO, it is Japan after all and I'm still lost and a tall gaijin.

But what a wonderful Birthday gift!!!

Thanks Mom and Dad and everyone else who contributed to it, it simply made my Monday!!!
The struggle of opening the BIG box to find numerous smaller gifts inside was fun and then having my Mother put a post-it note on each one to guide me on what to open first/next/last - what fun!

The stickers are FAB Dad, I'll happily use them (eps. with V-day coming up). The farm animal v-day cards will be going up on my English board at school too. The Velveeta, chips, taco mix, and jalapenos will be gone soon as I've already mentioned that I have these products and other people have initiated a Mexican Dinner party. The Magazines are being slowly savored, for the NEW juicy Hollywood smut from back home made up an exciting full hour of conversation with my gals tonight for Tuesday Ladies Dinner. The hair products are amazing -can't wait to use them and the chocolates are yummy!!! and YES, the best was saved for last - the Christmas Book was priceless!!!!! I couldn't even describe how happy I was when I was telling me friends about it tonight. To have current pictures,written words, AND spoken words from all my family in Texas.....I was even tearing up it was so sweet/fun/nice to read through over and over again!

THANK YOU ALL!!!! LOVE Y'ALL!!!!

ps. I even threw in Beth's Birthday gift - some wonderful homemade sandals from Agano-Shi. They are quite comfy actually, good for the sole - pun, hehe!!! :P Plus, her Winter Break England Omiyage - a new magazine...yeah! The more the merrier!!!
I love that even my own Mother can't remember what she packed. Umm, now I can't remember what was in it myself - wait...it was the BioSilk Shampoo/Cond./and Hair Oil package. Loved it - thanks!!!

Just a few pics of my family from the Christmas Book and the many presents I received in my package, plus my baby Draco.

Love you all!!!!

Teaching in Japan

Oh - YEAH! - more mangas to enjoy and share with you all about the joys of teaching in Japan. I esp. LOVE "English Teacher" (so true! so true! - About some JTE's that is)

The official name of this manga is - Azu Manga Daioh

Enjoy!!!
p.s.Remember y'all this is a Japanese Manga so you must read the bubbles from right to left for it to make FULL sense! cool!?!

2nd Official Play - Shibata

We had our 2nd play performance today in Shibata (about 45 mins. north of Niigata City). It was a matinee, so it started at 2 and we were SUPPOSE to be there at 9am to prepare. BUT since the play people were sponsoring a Charity Event in the city STARTING at 11pm, many people pulled all-nighters and ended up not coming until closer to 11'ish (including myself). The play went off well and the make-up looked even better today. Shibata was a HUGE stage compared to Niigata, so it felt a bit different getting on and off. All in all a good (long!) weekend, but 2 down 5 to go!!!

p.s. Viking (where mostly everyone ate afterwards) was AMAZING! All you can get buffet for 1900 Yen. YUMMY!!!
Here's a pic of everyone waiting around in the changing room before going on to our different scenes! (I may add this was the LADIES changing room, but it DID feel a bit odd not having the fellows around)
It still takes me a while to get use to seeing everyone around in full make-up.
Here's the little TVs we love! We get to watch and hear what's going on ON stage so we know where we're at and when we come on without being cluttered around the actual stage the whole time. It's a bit surreal at times seeing people on TV and thinking you'll be in that same spot in 10 mins. with them watching you, too funny!

But it's LOADS of fun!!!!

Next wknd - Murakami

1st Official Play - Niigata

My WOLF outfit - LOCO


Rosalind (Monkey), Grace and I (Wolves)
Me and Brooke (Vulture)
Will - Shir Kan

The Vulture Pact

Me and the Monkeys
Kaa, the evil snake! (Wonderful outfit!!!)



After the show, MAKEUP OFF!!!!














Today (January 28, 2006) was the opening day for our play - THE JUNGLE TALE - here in Niigata-shi. I was a bit upset since we were in the City for our first play, but luckily we didn't have too many problems (missed lines, prop trouble, etc.) and the show went off well. We had to arrive early (before 1) when the play didn't even start itself until 7pm, but we made it. Had to perfect prop movement before the final curtain call. It was fun to see everyone's final costumes put together and TOO ACTUALLY wear make-up, it really got us into our characters. Everyone looked awesome!!! Our beginning dance - THRILLER - went off amazingly as well, first time where everyone (all 8 of us) got the clapping parts together, so I guess being nervous and under pressure really helps!!! It's a bit strange performing in front of a prominently Japanese crowd, compared to Western crowds...they're a bit (as I say bit I mean WAY) more quiet! They never clapped after dances/singing moments, so a lot of the hooting and hollering were down off stage behind the curtain. The Oddness that is Japan!?! (remind we to tell you about the movie experiences we have with Japanese crowds) Anyways, tomorrow's a matinee in Shibata - so in tradition of getting there WAY early...we have to arrive by 9 am! Craziness!!! Enjoy the pics!!!

The Joy and Fun (Shall I even say Art?) of Print Club!?!

The Joys of Being an English Teacher

I wonder if this is how the JTEs see things!?! :)

You know with all the crap ALTs have to put with at times, I really enjoy my job in the end. The students rock, even when they rather draw pictures of you and not do the actual work you slaved for 2 hours making. My little Angels!!! LOL!

Pop Quiz

Happy Birthday Pam!!!!

She'll always be a rose in our heart!!!














Happy Birthday Pamela!!!

Hope you have a great one in Japan, we're all wishing you a wonderful year!!!

To see Pam in here finest, here's her blog -
http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=5148409

Monday Night

Lots of people started out the night with Thai food and ended up at Shame for come crazy Charity party fun. We're talking guys taking off their pants and lots of table dancing! Oh, don't you wish ever Monday was like this!?!

Sunday Night

Round One - Again!!!





Sunday night

A few of us went to Round One again. They have these new small go-karts that we waited around for hours to ride, but luck wasn't on our side! (Next time.) My favorite part of the night watching Ash and Deccy pull themselves around on the roller skates - their first time...so cute!!! AND the massage chairs that I crashed in for a LONG time, just lovely! All 8 of us got into a huge ball fight in the kiddy ball cage too, never too old for children's toys!!!